Château Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2017

Produced from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot, this is a noble but reserved Lafite. It is pure luxury, the lavish fruit, the texture, the tannin management, it is very impressive and controlled, it is more velvety than Lafites of the past with greater focus on the mouthfeel and tannin management than expression of fruit. It somehow feels more luxury and less aristocratic with its cashmere character. The fruit is tightly wound and very pure, but not easily discernible, there are hints of sweet cherry, herbs, graphite, cassis and minerals, but it a little more blurred than normal. Silky and impressive, it will be fascinating to see how this develops in barrel - if it sheds its reserve and allows the fruit to shine, it should be a very impressive wine